


Glimpse of Light

by jeejaschocolate



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bad Puns, Blindness, Body Worship, Brief Violence, Canon Disabled Character, Canon Divergence, Confessions, Developing Friendships, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasizing, First Time, Guilt, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Masturbation, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Open Relationships, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Porn with Feelings, Ravus Lives!AU, Ravus is a virgin, Ravus is thirsty AF, Repressed sexual feelings, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Threesome - M/M/M, Virginity Pact, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-10 16:30:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12303081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeejaschocolate/pseuds/jeejaschocolate
Summary: (Ravus lives!AU) In the world of ruin, Gladiolus and Ignis decide to give Ravus something he’s never had before.After all, a deal is a deal.





	1. Never

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PorcelainLove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainLove/gifts).



> So, this is for mi chica PorcelainLove. She came up with the idea for a threesome fic after reading my Gladio/Ravus story and honestly...yes. Yes yes yes yes and all the yes in the world ;) So I wrote with this thing here.
> 
> It's an AU where Ravus survives Zegnatus Keep somehow (no real explanation given because whatevs) and then joins the bros in the World of Ruin. Feel free to fill in those gaps however you like, this is all mostly wish fulfillment (a world with no daemon Ravus...my heart wants what it wants). 
> 
> Smut is coming in the next chapter! This is the set up (because I am crazy busy and can't get a solid block of writing time, so it'll be piece by piece).

Honestly, Ravus couldn’t even remember how the subject came up in the first place. It was some time after the darkness fell and they began their endless wait for the king’s return. Maybe a year after Noctis went into the Crystal? A little more, a little less? 

Whatever. Days blurred together. Once the sun set for good, solid time seemed increasingly useless (like, what did 11:00 in the morning really mean anymore?). Instead, they all tried to hold onto a regular cycle of wakefulness and sleep. Better that way. Something echoing normalcy.

Waking hours were spent with a group. Everything was easier in a group. Fending off the onslaught of daemons wasn’t a terrible ordeal amongst four highly trained men accustomed to fighting.

Since Luna died and Tenebrae fell, Ravus had nothing to live for but the success of the One True King. Now that Noctis was submerged in Crystal, what else made sense except protecting the king’s guards? Hoping for a swift return. Making sure Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis stayed alive to experience the Dawn once more. Helping what remained of the human race. Wherever possible.

Not that it wasn’t weird at first. It took a while for Ravus to connect to Noctis’s three best friends. Everything need to be done by degrees. 

They were all far too comfortable around him, Ravus thought. Why weren’t they more fearful of being betrayed? They did not even grimace when they saw Ravus’s magitek arm—a truly daemonic appendage ever in their peripheral vision. But no, they just accepted everything. His arm, his near-inhuman strength, his…distance. They let him be. And the more space they gave him, the more Ravus felt like he was part of their group. Not forced to be. Just sort of _there_ at first and then, slowly, meant to be there. 

They shared a common enough history, after all. These were people who knew exactly what Ravus had lived through. Who weren’t afraid of a former Niflheim high commander because they knew his true intentions. Eventually, it didn’t even feel odd being around them. They knew what he really stood for: His family’s purpose; the Light.

In many ways, Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis were a novelty of relief and genuine camaraderie that Ravus had never experienced before. Until now, ironically, when the world fell into ruin.

That was the only strange bit. Finding a measure of personal peace when everything else was cast into darkness. But Ravus wouldn’t feign indifference. He was past that now, after everything they’d been through. He wanted to stay by them and see this whole thing through to its natural end.

That said, he was getting used to being the odd man out. Constantly. For three men who knew each other like brothers, there were enough in-jokes and casual sarcasm to last a veritable lifetime. It often took Ravus several minutes to catch on when they were pulling one over on him. It seemed the line between seriousness and flippancy was razor thin and sometimes impossible to discern unless someone eventually cracked a smile. 

Also…puns. So, so many puns. Ravus never knew there were people in the world who appreciated wordplay as a legitimately funny thing. But, well. Suffice to say, he had been very wrong in that regard. 

“Well, that Dread behemoth certainly made his _point._ Horns and everything.” 

Prompto elbowed Ravus in the ribs while they all caught their breath after a particularly arduous fight with a monster well beyond their skill set. 

Gladiolus chuckled wearily. “Yeah. Nearly knocked the _wind_ out of us with those shit-ass wings…”

Ignis paused for a moment, considering. Then he added, “I’d say he needed to…chill out.” 

The three erupted in laughter. Ravus frowned and wondered if there was something humorous about nearly being gored by a behemoth that he just couldn’t seem to grasp. He ran over the conversation in his head a few times, making note of a few choice words. By the time they all returned to camp, Ravus finally got it.

“Oh,” he said suddenly, hammer poised in mid-air as he helped Gladiolus set up the tent. “I see. Because the creature had an affinity for ice magic, so…” He trailed off, realizing there was no reason to say any of this out loud.

The other three looked over at Ravus. Stunned into silence. Another wave of chuckles broke out and Prompto said, “Yeah. This guy gets it.” 

Blushing an attractive shade of pink, Ravus re-focused on the tent. He cleared his throat awkwardly after a moment, unsure what else to do. He was never certain if they were laughing at him in those moments. It did feel a little insulting to be the only one not laughing, the sole individual who didn’t automatically reach for humor to make light of a situation. 

But the laughter always came with a certain level of warmth that Ravus had to admit was not exactly…off-putting. More like, an invitation to do the same. To catch whatever smiles they could in these dark days. And traveling with these men meant that Ravus needed to learn how to live with jokes. So he took it all in stride. Or at least, he tried to.

Whatever the circumstances, eventually the subject came up. It just…happened. 

They were all settled in at camp after a good meal. (Ignis’s culinary skills were rapidly returning, especially with Prompto at his side to hand him all the necessary materials. A remarkable thing.) Gladiolus somehow managed to pilfer a few six packs of beer from the last abandoned rest stop and now they were all drinking around the campfire. Ravus, more accustomed to liquor and wine, found the bitter, yeasty taste of the beer strange. The carbonation nearly burned his tongue on every sip. But each gulp came with a nice rush of fogginess straight to the head. That was enjoyable. Dulled the senses. Nothing wrong with a little numbness these days. So Ravus kept drinking.

“Man,” Prompto chimed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “I hope Cindy and Holly made out alright in Lestallum. …You think it’s okay we left them like that?”

A beat of silence rang out across the campsite. Then Gladiolus rumbled, “Yeah. They’re fine. And we’re headed over tomorrow anyway so we’ll check in to make sure.” 

“Indeed. Cindy and Holly are quite capable,” Ignis asserted. The firelight reflected off his dark glasses, flashing across his scarred face. “They are no strangers to taking precautions against daemons.” 

“…Yeah you’re probably right…” 

Prompto fiddled with the metal cap of his beer. He looked far from reassured. His blue eyes focused on the fire, clearly running through a variety of possible outcomes. Worry clear in the lines of his face. 

“You, uh…” Gladiolus shifted in his seat. He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared over at Prompto. “…ever think it might be easier in the long run if you just tell her how you feel?” 

The blond flinched. He took another sip of beer with an unsteady hand. “Who, Cindy? Nah. She’s probably got a thing for someone else. No way a girl that hot just goes around single with nothing going on—”

“Come on,” Gladiolus cut in. “That’s an excuse, man.” 

“And the current state of this world leaves little room for excuses,” Ignis added pointedly. 

Prompto sighed. The three of them began talking at length about the situation with the mechanic girl. Ravus knew the women they were referring to. He also knew (as did everyone, certainly) that Prompto had feelings for her. That type of situation seemed like something Ravus had no business discussing. Love affairs and such. Ravus wasn’t here for that. He was just here to carry them all safely through the dark, deliver them to the king (just as he had done with Regis’s sword)…their interpersonal relationships were none of his concern.

The former commander zoned out. He sat with his beer, stretched his long legs out in front of him, and let the alcohol muddle his thoughts comfortingly.

“Not really…”

“I guess it’s possible.”

“Who? You sure?” 

The conversation faded in and out around him. This happened a lot. Ravus could exist peacefully in the same space as the rest of them, entertaining his own thoughts, letting them prattle on about anything. The sound of their voices in gentle conversation was becoming normal. Like suitable background music or the hum of a television. It was nice. 

“…What about you, Ravus?” 

As the noise died, Ravus began to realize he had been sitting there drinking for quite some time. His beer was already empty. And for some reason the three men seemed to have their attention fixed on him…?

Had they just said his name?

“…What?” Ravus asked inarticulately. He could blame his slow reaction time on the alcohol, but. In truth he just never expected to be addressed during a conversation like this. 

“Well, we were talking about people that we waited a long time to finally…get with.” Prompto glanced meaningfully at the other two men, who smiled stiffly (Ravus did not get the joke because he had not been listening). “Was there, I mean…is there anyone like that for you?” 

He heard the words, they made sense in his head, but still Ravus frowned. “What…do you mean?” 

“He’s asking,” Gladiolus segued (seemingly amused by the lopsided grin on his face). “If you got any girls or guys out there you can’t wait to jump into bed with. Maybe they’re still alive or whatever, doesn’t matter. We’re just chatting here. So, spill. Who’s the lucky winner that got you in the sheets?”

Warmth and confusion assaulted Ravus’s tipsy brain. If he heard correctly, there were more than a few vulgar references in that question. Was Gladiolus asking if…?

No, not if. Gladiolus had already assumed that part. He was asking _who._

In Shiva’s name…

“…I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Ravus lied. He knew well enough. He just wanted this conversation to end. To emphasize this point, the former commander twisted his body away from the group, giving them his back. He made to gather his jacket (a hard black denim thing he had acquired after discarding his Niflheim apparel), a sign that he was heading into the tent for the night.

The other three sat there in silence for a few moments. Adjusting. (Waiting, obviously.)

Then Gladiolus said, “Seriously?” 

Ravus paused. He held his jacket in one hand. “What.” 

“Nothing, I mean, it’s fine,” the former shield continued. “You can keep your shit to yourself if you want. It’s really none of our business. Just…don’t know who you’re trying to protect at this point.” He drained the rest of his beer. “If that’s even what the problem is.” 

A familiar, dreadful sense of panic flowed through Ravus’s veins. Sluggish though he was, by now he realized what he had gotten himself into.

It was always the same, every time this subject came up. In the military barracks, in social situations (the scant few bars Ravus had been to in his youth; or formal affairs where he overheard hushed conversation). People could not leave well enough alone. And Ravus got his back up too soon, a telltale sign that something was not quite right.

But now could be different. Ravus took a deep breath (his tipsiness dissolving into the thick night air) and reminded himself that years had passed since the last time he was forced to talk about this. Years and a lifetime of experience. He was not the same person anymore. He did not have to make a big deal about it.

What did any of this matter in the face of a world full of ruin, anyway? 

“It’s nothing so serious,” Ravus began. He still could not quite face the rest of the group, but he knew they could hear him. “Only that…there is not much information to give.” 

The three Lucians digested that. Already Ravus was planning his escape. Running into the tent with his head held high meant that he did not have to look at any of them—

“You mean…” Prompto shuffled where he sat. “…it’s been a while since the last time you got the chance to have a good time with somebody?” 

Ravus sighed. He looked up at the never-ending night sky. Maybe this world of darkness wouldn’t have been so bad if the stars were still visible. But no. Even the light of the stars had been robbed by the clouds of Scourge that covered everything.

Keeping his eyes heavenward, Ravus finally said, “It’s been…never.”

In the painful silence that followed, the former commander clenched his jaw tightly against the shame of admitting the truth. He usually lied to people, said he had a regular healthy sex life just like everyone else, thank you. Or else he just sniffed dramatically and said nothing. But now, here was his honest truth. 

Ravus had never been with anyone. Man or woman. Sexually, romantically, or even just casually (the kind of awkward dating attempts most pre-teens went through). Not once in his short life. 

“…Huh?” It seemed Prompto could say little else. 

Ignis turned his head towards Ravus. Slowly, seriously. “…Never?” 

Ravus nodded once in confirmation. Then, to clarify for everyone, he said, “Correct. I’ve…” He swallowed uncomfortably. “…never.” 

Actually, Ravus had never told anyone this small fact about himself before. He didn’t know what the other men would say. Would they be surprised? Naturally, of course. It was not normal for someone Ravus’s age to still be a vir…well. Would they laugh at him? Would they think he was some kind of hidden deviant, repressing his instincts, or else a neophyte in the realm of adult experience, treating him like a prepubescent teen for the rest of this venture? 

Intolerable. 

He closed his eyes and shook his head as he fought the feeling of defeat. Why did he feel like these men had won something and he had lost? Why did the facts of his life make it so difficult for him to relate to other people? Ever since he was a child it had been this way—

“You know…” Ignis started to say, treading carefully over the tension surrounding them all. “…it’s alright _not_ to. If you don’t care for that kind of thing.” 

Oh. Ravus glanced over his shoulder at Ignis—just Ignis alone, who could not look back at him and who had offered something like understanding. Even though he was completely wrong.

“It’s not an issue of…want,” Ravus struggled to say, looking down at his mismatched hands. “It is an issue of availability.” 

And pursuit. Ravus had never pursued anyone—not after his mother had been killed in front of him and he and Luna were forced into a life of military scheming. He just hadn’t had the time! Nor the confidence, emotional understanding, or general social skills required to insinuate himself into the sights of someone he found attractive. As he matured, Ravus found that he trusted people less and less. Least of all himself (especially after he failed the Ring’s test and lost his arm to fire). There was no one Ravus could afford to give himself to. Besides, once he got in the habit of being alone—and loneliness was all he had ever known—it was difficult to break.

That was not to say that he lacked the desire. Yes, it happened every so often that Ravus met someone, even saw them from afar, and felt a stirring of attraction in his chest. (And elsewhere, sometimes, when he allowed himself.) But Ravus had perfect control over himself in that regard. Better than anyone else. He did not let the desire and lack of fulfillment drive him mad. He could withstand anything; betrayal, fiery pain, unthinkable loss, death. Sexual frustration was nothing.

Most of the time, he worked it out in the training yard. Channeled that desire into other areas of his life. Things he was better at. And he was better at nearly everything else in the world. Wooing people to spend time with him of their own free will…that did not come naturally to him. 

Gladiolus’s low voice rejoined the conversation. “Meaning you just…never got around to it? Or no one ever took a chance on giving you the time of day?”

“…Yes. To both.” Ravus rose to his feet indignantly. “Now, I think that’s enough of this subject for one evening—”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Prompto stood up to block his path to the tent. His eyes telegraphed all kinds of disbelief and deep-seated curiosity. “You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and walk out! There’s a lot we wanna know, man! Or at least, I do…”

“Yeah.” Gladiolus reached into the cooler for another drink. “I gotta say, that was probably the last thing I expected to hear. And no way it’s a lie, because…shit.” 

Ravus let out a breath. He was feeling less attacked, less on edge, but still very defensive. He did not exactly want these men prying into his most well-kept secrets…even though, in a way, Gladiolus was right. What was the point in keeping those parts of himself protected anymore? Now? 

“Have another beer with us, Ravus,” Ignis offered. He extended his hand in Gladiolus’s direction, indicating the cooler. A polite invitation.

Right on cue, Gladiolus held out a second beer to the former commander. The bulky man’s body was open. His tawny eyes stared at Ravus without any kind of follow-up comment. No judgement or secret joke. Gladiolus looked, more than anything else…conversational.

These men were not teasing him. Ravus could see it in their faces. They just wanted to talk.

Several more degrees of separation fell away from the group in that moment. Ravus could feel himself inching closer into what they had. 

He accepted the beer and took a seat next to Prompto. 

They asked him many more questions that night. Had he ever wanted to be with someone before? (Of course yes.) Why didn’t he just go for it? (So many reasons.) What was his type? (His what?) Men or women, to narrow it down at least? (Men, mostly. His fantasies revolved around a select few people, the majority of whom were men.) 

He did not say this, but among that small circle of people Ravus found attractive, Noctis and all three of his friends made up a large percentage of the population. These days, Ravus found his chest fluttering, heart beat frantically, whenever he accidentally got too close to one of the others. He hoped the flush wasn’t apparent in his face. Because he did not know how to handle a situation like that. 

Years ago, he would not have even admitted to himself that he was interested in those Lucians. But now he forced himself to see the truth. He knew that he…liked what he saw when he looked at the three of them. On numerous occasions, Ravus caught himself staring at some insignificant detail on some part of their bodies. The freckles on Prompto’s cheeks. The harsh outline of muscle on Gladiolus’s arms that cast mini-shadows wherever those cut muscles bulged outwards. Ignis’s hands. Those long-fingered masterpieces of human physique, electrically sensitive now that Ignis relied on touch and sound to orient himself. Ravus wanted to run his fingertips across the back of Ignis’s hands. Just to see what they felt like. He burned with a dark hunger to _know—_ he might have even tried to feel them, “accidentally,” or maybe even for the briefest moment once Ignis fell asleep. 

But that would have been completely wrong. On many levels. A violation of Ignis’s personal space and a betrayal of everything Ravus believed about himself. So, he didn’t. Of course.

He admitted, out loud to the three of them, that he honestly felt like his window of opportunity had closed. Sexual experiences, along with love and things like that, were beyond him now. It was too late. The world was already mostly over.

They fell silent after that. Ignis and Gladiolus were sitting next to each other. There, almost out of sight, Ignis slyly tucked his hand inside Gladiolus’s. Gently lacing their fingers together. Wordlessly, staring somewhere near the ground, Gladiolus returned the touch. 

Ravus stared. Nearly transfixed. He wondered if Prompto saw it too, but it seemed the gunner had taken the opportunity to lay down on his back and retreat into his own thoughts.

Was Ravus the only one who could see…?

“I wouldn’t completely give up hope just yet,” Ignis announced. “Nothing is over. And, frankly, you’re with a group of men who would be glad to give you an opportunity for some experience.” He let that land for a moment. Then he added, “Just to be clear, that means anything and everything.” 

Ravus shook his head hard. He must have heard wrong. Because that sounded like Ignis was offering…what, exactly? What was everything? …What was anything?

Their hands were still clasped together. 

“I…” Then Ravus had to cover his mouth to fight back an unfamiliar burp, a strange side effect of the beer. He looked up nervously, hoping the other two hadn’t heard.

“Take your time, though,” Gladiolus followed with a yawn (uninterested in whatever might have just escaped Ravus’s mouth). “No rush. Hell, maybe you’ll meet the perfect someone tomorrow. Or a year from now or even five years from now. Who knows, right?” 

“Yes, absolutely.” Ignis nodded. “But, supposing it doesn’t, or if you decide that you simply do not want to venture anywhere else, you can always come to us.” 

Gladiolus locked eyes with Ravus. “Right.” He agreed to…whatever this was.

“But I…” How could Ravus argue with an offer like that? Part of him wanted to balk in resentment at even being asked! And. Part of him wanted to take them up on such a plan right this very moment. It would be _them_ and…

Flailing through a haze of arousal and embarrassment, Ravus stuttered a few more times.

The side of Ignis’s mouth quirked upwards in faint amusement. “Let’s make an informal arrangement, shall we? If you do not succeed in losing your virginity in…hmm, three years from now? Is that too long?”

Gladiolus chuckled, swinging his head from side to side. “Jeez, Iggy. That’s a hell of a long time. Who knows if we’ll even survive another year like this. I mean, right?” 

Tilting his head in Gladiolus’s direction, Ignis nodded briefly. “Point taken. A year then. If you’re still more or less completely unused to physical affection in a year’s time, then you’ll leave the matter to us. Let us remedy the situation for you.” His damaged eyes were both closed, but the rest of his face was alive with mirth and clear excitement. An intimidating look coming from Ignis.

Fuck. They were all probably a little tipsy at this point. That was such a weird offer. He glanced over at Prompto to gauge any kind of reaction, but it seemed Prompto had already fallen asleep. 

How had they come to this, on a night like any other? They were all about to go into the tent together and sleep. Even though Ignis’s and Gladiolus’s hands were still…like _that_.

Shaking his head in complete disbelief, Ravus relented. “Fine,” he said. “Deal.”

“Splendid.” Ignis smiled at Ravus warmly. He turned to Gladiolus and whispered something the other man could not hear.

But then Gladiolus was smiling too. “Sounds good,” he said. His grin telegraphed a message Ravus honestly could not decipher.

Whatever. Ravus had nothing to lose here. They would probably all forget about this in the morning. Even though Ravus was sure the mere suggestion—of _anything and everything_ —would linger with him for quite some time.


	2. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time wears on. Things to start to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added another chapter. When do I not? I'm incapable of writing just a short thing anymore. This is who I am lol *love me*
> 
> Aaand now there are feels. So, idk guys T___T But I hope you like the suffering before the smut.

Things were back to normal the next day, as expected. The four of them moved around each other without any awkwardness—they did not treat Ravus differently (which had been his worst fear). The only thing even slightly out of place was Gladiolus. He caught Ravus’s eye over breakfast and smiled into his plate meaningfully. 

Ravus told himself that smile was not meant to be insulting.

After that, they continued on. Days passed into weeks. Then months. Time dragged by as they held out in the real world, waiting for Noctis’s return. Suffice to say, they had pressing matters to deal with. The daemons growing stronger, strongholds and havens ever weakening. The four men could run themselves ragged for weeks on end, stopping only when they physically could not do any more without taking a rest.

Eventually, Prompto decided to split from the group. It did not come out of nowhere. He had been staying behind in Lestallum with Cindy more and more. Although Ravus never asked, he thought he knew the reason (hadn’t they all talked about it that one night? That happened, right?). 

Gladiolus and Ignis were fine with it. They nodded seriously and let Prompto go where he would. It felt like a form of respect. Loyalty, in a way. They believed Prompto would keep himself safe. They trusted his instincts and his strength. Even Ravus had to respect that. 

After over two years together, the group of four became a group of three. 

________________________________________________

It became clearer, once Prompto left, that Gladiolus and Ignis were in a relationship. 

Of course, Ravus would never forget the sight of them holding hands at the campfire that night. Fingers locked together so easily. Unashamed. It was the first time Ravus had ever seen affection like that between the two of them and he was completely shocked by it. He’d known the Lucians were close, but _that_ close? Also, why did it seem like a relationship just between the two of them? Something they did not want to share with Prompto? Not a secret, per se, but…private. 

A confidential relationship. Undisclosed, at least to the rest of the world. No one treated Gladiolus and Ignis like a couple. Not even the people in Hammerhead who knew them the best. They only bunked together when there was no other room, never pointedly and repeatedly like the other pairs Ravus had seen in his life. Beyond that, everyone regarded Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto as a singular unit. A group of three friends.

But. Over the next few months, Ravus got a chance to see underneath all that.

Gladiolus and Ignis were less careful with Prompto gone. 

At first Ravus thought he was just imagining things. Seeing what he wanted to see. Because, yes, after that night around the campfire he had sometimes allowed himself to…envision what it might be like between the two of them. …Intimately. These were just idle thoughts, of course. Daydreams. Pointless on their own, but good fodder for his tired mind. When he finally laid his head down to sleep, Ravus let his thoughts wander to images of large hands running down a lithe, smooth back. Ignis with his glasses off (even now, blind, Ignis’s bare face was stunning. Ravus seriously hoped the man knew that for himself), peppering kisses across Gladiolus’s tattoos. Faces disappearing between toned legs. Soft skin and relieved smiles. Natural together and so, so…. _perfect_.

Ravus only ever touched himself when he was completely alone. If imagining Gladiolus and Ignis together helped him get off—which it did—then that was his business. And it was fair! They had teased him enough with the idea of some asinine _promise_. Another joke, probably. Just a thought that would fester away in the back of Ravus’s mind for…maybe the rest of his life. Never coming to light. 

However. As his time with Gladiolus and Ignis stretched on, it became impossible to ignore the signs that the two men were a couple. It started as just touches. Hands lingering on a shoulder perhaps longer than necessary. Fingers dragging whenever something passed between them. The salt shaker, or a weapon. Just several extra seconds of contact that were not strictly needed.

Ravus observed every private moment in silence. Out of the corner of his eye. 

Then, gradually, their affectionate displays became more…obvious. Blatant hand holding around the campfire. Once, Ignis’s head resting comfortably in Gladiolus’s lap while Gladiolus gently stroked his friend’s rapidly lengthening hair. (Fuck, Ravus had to admit, a pompadour looked great on Ignis. He wanted very much to do the same, to feel Ignis’s longer hair between his fingers, just to know if it really was as soft as it looked.) Then, once became twice. Then three times. Until finally it was normal for Ravus to see Ignis laying his head on Gladiolus’s thighs. And the reverse. Gladiolus with his eyes closed, using Ignis’s strong, thin legs to support his head. 

What was Ravus supposed to say? Was that normal for friends? Contact like that? Ravus certainly had never seen it before. Nothing so open.

Still, even that he could shrug off as just two men being overly used to each other’s company. After all, Gladiolus and Ignis had been around each other for…what, most of their lives? Always in royal company. Noctis was their life’s work. They were both essential to the prince (young king), so they always traveled in the same circles. 

Did they share in each other’s affections the same way? Ravus could not help imagining Noctis in the middle of them. Resting his head on Ignis’s lap. Leaning against Gladiolus’s shoulder. Just, casually taking his friends for granted.

Not for the first time, Ravus felt a cutting swipe of jealousy when he thought of Noctis. How disastrously vain. The chosen prince seeing Gladiolus and Ignis as _things,_ men that were there for him as a matter of course.

In order to fight the anger and blinding envy quarreling inside him, Ravus dug the fingernails of his human hand into his palm. When that wasn’t enough, he scratched his leg with the nails of his daemon arm. A reassuring amount of pain to remind him there was a whole world beyond the raging storm within.

It was useless letting his imagination run wild. Besides, Ravus was not a boy anymore. Not the same young man who salivated painfully in the shadows watching Noctis enjoy the fruits of a blessed life. He thought he had put his jealousy for the chosen one far behind him. …But now, instead of imagining the Ring of Lucii on his finger, the command of the Crystal behind him, Ravus just wanted…he could not help dreaming of…being the one who got to sleep comfortably in between two gorgeous men that cared about him…even _loved_ him like family—

Well. It was no matter. Ravus had better things to do with his time. Like, namely, saving the human race while the chosen one slept away. He threw himself violently into harm’s way—not exactly rejoicing when a daemon’s claws swiped him enough to break the skin. But not dodging as much as he probably could have, either. Letting the enemy land a few hits on him. Taking damage as if paying penance.

It was fair. He deserved pain. Pain kept him grounded. After losing an arm to his own greed, Ravus would do well to remember what pain felt like.

Once, he sustained a particularly nasty slash to the face. A daemon’s three claws down the left side of cheek, deeper than he anticipated (even though he had seen the strike coming and down nothing to avoid it). The strike almost pierced straight through his flesh and into his mouth. Ravus could taste blood. 

The pain was warm. Not as hot as Ravus imagined. Nothing like the fire of the kings of old. It hurt, certainly, but. It was almost disappointing.

What Ravus did not anticipate, however, was the reaction from his companions.

“He’s hurt!” 

Gladiolus screamed, jumping in front of Ravus to shield the taller man from another blow (actually Ravus had been considering letting that one land too). Before Ravus could even orient himself, he was pressed up against the Shield’s back. A face full of heavy, burly man-odor (Gladiolus’s normal scent, now that cologne was a thing of the past), and the familiar smell of the Shield’s cracked leather jacket. 

Now Ravus was warm for a different reason.

“Iggy!” Gladiolus cried. He fended off strike after strike from the rabid daemon, using his two-handed weapon as a shield. 

“On my way!” 

Scant seconds later, Ravus felt hands on his shoulders. A greenish blue light bathed his skin and the pain in his face (along with several lingering muscle aches and a bone-deep tiredness he had been carrying for weeks) evaporated. This could only be one man—

“Where.” Ignis pulled Ravus a good distance away. His mouth was a tight, thin line. He took off one glove and started patting Ravus up and down, feeling gently across every inch of the taller man’s body. His shoulders, his chest, his stomach, his back, his hips— “I smell blood. Where are you hurt.” 

“I’m…fine…” Ravus gasped. He had never been touched quite like Ignis was touching him now. Efficiently, but with care. There was a guiding force of deep concern behind Ignis’s hands and Ravus could not hold back a shudder.

“Tell me, quickly!” Ignis leaned closer, until Ravus felt the man’s breath on his face. “Where are you hurt!” 

Licking his lips, blushing across most of his body, Ravus said the words without thinking. “My face…” 

“Oh.” Ignis’s hands stilled. Then, slowly, his palms ghosted across Ravus’s torso until they came to his neck. 

Please, not his _neck_ … Ravus closed his eyes, keenly aware of the way his body helplessly responded to Ignis’s touch. Breaking out into goosebumps. Pulse fluttering. Flesh hardening underneath his clothes, beneath his shirt and between his legs—

Disgusting. Ravus knew he was disgusting, reacting like this, and he was so ashamed. But. These were the hands he had been dreaming of. Ignis’s hands. The ones he sometimes pretended were his own when he washed himself in the shower…

How pathetic. 

Humiliated to his core, Ravus bit his lip and let Ignis touch him as he pleased. If he kept his breath completely still and said nothing, there was a chance Ignis might not realize the effect he had on Ravus. Since the man could not see.

“Here…?” 

Ignis’s fingers slid up Ravus’s neck. Not lingering, not affectionate, (not the way he had seen Ignis touch Gladiolus). No, those hands were medical and precise. Gathering data. Feeling him. Seeing him. Ravus clenched his teeth to keep from grunting when those hands touched his bare neck. Then his chin. His cheek.

He hissed when Ignis brushed the wound on his face. It was mostly closed now, thanks to Ignis’s regeneration ability, but the nearby skin was still raw. It stung underneath the other man’s fingers.

“I see,” Ignis whispered. Delicately, barely making any contact at all, Ignis patted the gash. “It feels…” 

Frowning, Ignis conjured an elixir. It was overkill in the extreme, Ravus was nearly healed—but before he could say anything, Ignis poured the curative over his face. The gash shrunk into a distant scab. A heavy glow of magical healing energy washed over Ravus and he trembled in Ignis’s hands. 

His head felt fuzzy. Ignis’s face was so close to his own. He wanted to lean forward and…

“It might scar,” Ignis announced. He fingered the cut again. “But it’s healed for now. Is there anywhere else?” 

The tactician’s hand lingered on Ravus’s cheek. Gently cupping the side of his face. Ravus wanted to answer him, to say again that he was fine, to end this whole thing before he embarrassed himself for good. But. Ignis’s ungloved hand was as smooth as he imagined. It made Ravus feel like he was glowing. Even Ignis, blind as he was, had to see what he was doing to him. To feel the heat radiating off his skin. 

“What happened?”

Gladiolus stomped over to them. He had successfully demolished the rest of the daemons, but his sweaty face seemed panicked. He grabbed Ravus by the shoulder and forced the taller man to look at him. Those reflective, dark brown eyes trembled as they stared at him.

Ravus had never seen Gladiolus like this before. Afraid. He sat there wordlessly, shocked by the sight of the Shield falling apart. A man he considered unbreakable .

“He’s alright,” Ignis asserted. He let out a deep breath. As if even he were calming down from some moment of uncertainty—which almost never happened to Ignis. Especially now that he was well assured of his own abilities to fight without eyesight. “Just a scar, thankfully.”

Gladiolus hung his head in relief. He clapped Ravus on the back, squeezing the taller man’s thin shoulder in a tight grip. “Shit, man. I thought that thing ripped half your face off.” 

“I’m…” Ravus wanted to protest all this treatment. He was not some child. He could take care of himself (and if he wanted to get the shit kicked out of him, that was his own business!). But he was unable to say anything, because…

…Gladiolus’s hand was so warm. The heat from that hand traveled down Ravus’s body, sinking under his skin. Inside. All kinds of places. His stomach, his abdomen…how could the heat reach him even there? Was this heat some natural side effect of Gladiolus’s strength?

These men and their hands were going to drive Ravus completely insane.

“Hmm. I’m concerned.” Ignis crossed his arms and unfolded his cane. He did not use his cane during battle, but he used it to walk around. Different materials on the tip gave him different sensory feedback. Rubber tips to feel the environment, plastic to hear the echoes as they landed. Taking out his cane now was a sign that they were ready to move on.

“Ravus, you’ve recently been sustaining more frequent injuries.” Ignis shuffled over to Gladiolus and surreptitiously wrapped an arm around the bigger man’s back. A comforting gesture. 

Oh, so Ignis noticed. Well, of course he had. Very little slipped past him. 

“…It’s nothing.” Why did Ravus suddenly feel guilty? He had done nothing to these men! His body was his own affair. They had no claim to him. There was no reason for them to concern themselves with his well-being—

Without warning, Gladiolus pulled Ravus in for a giant bear hug. Completely unprompted. Ravus’s body slotted against his, defenseless, surrounded by sweat and heat and potent odor. Wrapped in a set of strong arms that held him tight, as if making sure Ravus did not crumble to pieces.

“Don’t get reckless,” Gladiolus rumbled in Ravus’s ear. “You gotta play it safe out there, hear me? We’re all we have now and…”

His embrace tightened. Squeezing Ravus until he couldn’t breathe, until all he could smell was Gladiolus. So powerful he could practically taste the Shield now. In the back of his throat.

“…can’t lose you.” 

Gladiolus’s lips pressed to the side of Ravus’s head. It was not a kiss, but…there were no other words to describe it. A touch. A level of intimacy that could only be given with the lips. 

It was enlightening. Ravus had never felt anyone’s lips on him (except perhaps his mother’s, years and years ago. Or Luna’s, on his cheek when they were children. A lifetime before. This was different). The soft plushy feeling of Gladiolus’s lips was a connection unlike any other. A shock to Ravus’s system.

He understood now. Their fear. It made sense in Gladiolus’s arms. They had lost so many things, so many people. Their kingdom, their families. Their home. Prompto, even, who had gone off without them. Their prince. Their true purpose. 

All they had now was each other. Somehow that included Ravus. And they would fight to the death to keep it that way. 

The former commander breathed in the odor of the other man, suffused with Gladiolus’s strength and his unrelenting heart. He realized he felt the same way. He did not want to lose them. 

The need to apologize hit him hard. “I’m sorry…” Ravus whispered, not even sure if Gladiolus could hear him. Slowly, inch by sluggish inch, he laid his head on Gladiolus’s chest. It felt like laying on a cushioned piece of steel. Strong enough to keep him upright, even if Ravus could not stay standing on his own.

Ignis stood beside them. He rested his hand on the back of Ravus’s neck, pulling them both in close. A kind of three-way hug. 

“You’re forgiven,” Ignis whispered back, loud enough for them both to hear. “As long as you promise to take more care from now on.”

Ravus nodded, his face rubbing against the crusted leather of Gladiolus’s jacket. He wondered if Gladiolus could feel how hard Ravus was between his legs. He wondered if Gladiolus minded the way Ravus’s daemon arm felt against his chest. For now, it seemed the Shield was alright with all these things. 

Ignis sighed loudly. As he pulled away, Gladiolus’s arms loosened their grip. The world resettled and Ravus realized exactly what they had just done. 

He was not sure whether to be embarrassed or to lean in for another hug. That felt so wonderful! It would be a lie to say he did not want Gladiolus to hug him again…

But the moment passed. Ignis suggested they go find the nearest campsite and Gladiolus agreed. (Perhaps the Shield’s brown eyes were slightly more watery than normal, but Ravus could not certain.) Together, they hobbled off to settle down for the night. 

The mood was somber. Too serious. They had brushed up against the reality of how fragile everything was. There were no jokes that night, nor any obvious touches. It was quiet. None of them really talked until they woke up again the next day. They ate in silence, went to bed with nothing but a few grunts.

It felt like, in a way, they had gone past words. A piece of understanding had woven its way through all three of them and it was not something that needed to be voiced.

They were the last piece of what remained from their old lives. The final brick of a house that had burned to the ground years ago. Something to hold onto in the ruinous world.

It should be more than enough to satisfy Ravus. He’d never felt this close to anyone before! Now he had _two_ men who looked to him for reassurance, and he to them!

Yet. The longing Ravus felt to be closer (to know and to _feel_ ) only got worse after that. He had been given a brief glimpse into the world of touching and being touched. Just a tiny peek at an ocean of feelings and mutual affection. It lit a fire in him, burning him with a desire for more. Shivers ran across his skin as he remembered Ignis’s gentle fingers and Gladiolus’s uncompromising grip. His body was ravenous. Desperate to lay down in between them, surrounded on all sides by their specific brand of respect and care.

It took everything Ravus had not to crawl into their arms while they slept. Because now that the moment was over, he did not know if he would be welcome.

Naturally, he told himself, he wouldn’t be. Wanting affection from them hours and days after the fact would be bizarre. A mockery of the tender moment they shared earlier. If he asked for more, they would see him for what he really was: A lewd man. A…virgin who could not separate friendship from base, unappealing urges. 

They were there for each other on the battlefield. That had to be enough.

Even though it wasn’t.

Still. After that time, Ravus did not put himself in harm’s way again. He fought for real. To protect himself—and Ignis and Gladiolus as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're getting there! 
> 
> And unfortunately time has not been on my side this weekend :/ But soon, for sure! <3


	3. Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The darkness cannot last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some porn for days, guys! Mind the tags. And such.
> 
> Enjoy!

Ravus was adrift. Sometimes he did not say anything for whole days, unsure what he could say. Everything felt different now.

He knew what Gladiolus’s arms felt like around his body. What Ignis’s soft hands felt like on his face. There was no coming back from that, Ravus realized. Especially since the other two men probably knew how much that incident affected him. Which meant they knew what a vulgar man Ravus was, deep down. It didn’t help that he woke up nearly every day shivering, fully hard between his legs, curled in on himself in an attempt to keep that particular secret to himself. But certainly, Gladiolus had seen (once or twice at least). Without any doubt, Ignis sensed something was amiss. The mood, the very air between the three of them could carry a whole conversation. Ravus did not know how to handle that.

Better to just keep quiet.

He followed them both blindly, not asking where they were headed. Did it even matter? Ravus would not leave their side for any reason on Eos, nor did he have any particular suggestions where they should go. The landscape of the world was fairly indistinguishable when everything was covered in darkness. 

After a few weeks though, it became apparent even to Ravus’s uninterested eyes that they were heading south. Why south? Since the sun disappeared, civilization migrated steadily east and north. Lestallum served as a beacon and haven for many. As the years wore on, almost the whole western hemisphere of Lucis was abandoned. Everywhere south of Ravatogh and as far north as the Vesper Pool. No one visited these places anymore. They were simply overrun with daemons, not nearly enough man-made light to offer any kind of protection.

But still, for some reason, Gladiolus and Ignis led the three of them west and south. Following the abandoned main road as it swung past the southernmost sea. Eerily dark. Some of the streetlights were out, some remained, but Dunnedale and the Leirity Seaside were completely devoid of people. Nothing but dust and echoing daemon cries.

“Where are we going?” Ravus murmured finally, when he could not hold the question back anymore. The darkness reflecting off the River Wennath set him ill at ease. 

“There’s something that warrants our attention,” Ignis answered. His cane perpetually swung out ahead of him, as confident as the man who wielded it. “We need to…follow up.” 

Gladiolus said nothing. But he gave Ravus a look that made the taller man nearly stumble. Even in the poor light Ravus could see a twinkle in Gladiolus’s eye and the hint of a smirk on his lips—completely out of place! Yes, the daemons they encountered were not exactly challenging at this point (cleaving through the same enemies over and over made fighting feel almost robotic). But there was nothing to take lightly! Especially this far away from the rest of society!

Gaping, Ravus vowed to say nothing until he found out exactly what these two men had planned. It took another two whole days. He slept with his back to them—not even turning around when he heard wet noises. The telltale sounds of kissing and mouths running over flesh. The wrinkling of clothes. Soft moans.

Ah. So. They were done being subtle, it seemed. Ravus curled tighter around himself and fought every eager whisper urging him to look. His length pressed painfully against the confines of his pants, but Ravus refused to touch it. Mostly because, if he did, he would probably climax in mere moments. The consistent need and lack of self-care was becoming evident in how sensitive his skin was these days…probably just needed to press the heel of his hand against himself and then he would soak through his only pair of slacks—

Unthinkable. 

Why were they torturing him like this? They had to be doing it on purpose, no? Especially now. Gladiolus and Ignis had to know what their affection did to Ravus—unless they thought that Ravus was simply annealed to it after all this time. It had been over a year since the three of them struck out on their own. Perhaps they felt that Ravus, like any sane man, would pay them no mind at this point. Respectful enough to give them their privacy, since there was so little relief to be found in this world. 

Did they see Ravus as an understanding brother? A trusty companion they could drop the curtain around? Show their true selves to without fear of being judged or….?

Ravus squeezed his thighs together and covered his ears. Perhaps they couldn’t see his true self after all. The parts of Ravus that he simply could not control anymore. His hateful body’s stubborn desires. Things he could never share with anyone. The hollow pain of being consistently rejected day in and day out—even though that wasn’t fair to say since there was never _anything_ …and Ravus would never betray their trust as long as he was still breathing. If they wanted his discretion he would do everything in his power to leave them in peace. _Everything_.

Fate was cruel, Ravus reflected. He was surely being punished for something. And hell, he probably deserved it. 

Ravus took his punishment and said nothing.

“There it is.” 

At Gladiolus’s announcement, Ravus peered ahead, squinting in the darkness. His hearing was dulled by the overbearing sound of waves crashing against the cliffside. But sure enough, just past a persistent streetlight and unaccompanied truck stall (had it sold weapons at one point?), was a house. More like a cottage, off to the side, while an abandoned lighthouse rotated ominously overhead.

Where in Shiva’s name were they now? Ravus could not remember seeing a cottage marked in this spot on any map. Although it was called a Cape. Cape Caem, if he remembered correctly. What Ravus had assumed was just an abandoned lighthouse.

“How does it look?” Ignis asked. 

“The same, really,” Gladiolus admitted with a sigh. “Except there’s no people here.” 

“Mm.” Ignis turned around, speaking vaguely in Ravus’s direction. “Come on. Let’s go inside.” 

Inside? Ravus frowned, but again he said nothing. He could not fathom any reason for them to be here. Something to check on, is that what Ignis said? At the very least, the lighthouse’s strangely consistent beacon was enough to keep the daemons at bay. Although there might still be some lurking…

The cottage smelled like dust, sand, and (faintly) sage. The bushes nearby had probably been bursting with sagebrush at one point. There was also a dilapidated garden around back. Caem must have been a breathtaking sight to behold, perhaps at dawn or at dusk, surrounded by so much natural beauty. Before the ground turned uninhabitable. Still, Ravus could almost picture the scene in his head. He found it…interesting.

Their feet echoed against the wooden floors. As soon as they opened the door, poised to attack any stray daemons, Gladiolus tried the light switch. Lo and behold, the lights turned on! Such brightness hurt Ravus’s eyes at first, he had not been expecting it, and he blinked stupidly in the sudden rush of visibility. 

People had lived here. Couches and a kitchen. Bedrooms upstairs and downstairs. A small, clearly lived-in space. Even though it was abandoned now, Ravus could still distantly feel a sense of homey comfort around this cottage. It must have been a treasured safe place for many. Also, it was obvious that Ignis and Gladiolus were familiar with this place. They moved around easily, everything right where they left it.

“We should probably find those cactuar figurines Talcott was talking about,” Gladiolus said. (Ravus could just barely make sense of the words, since he had no idea what the Shield was referring to.) 

“Mm, yes.” Ignis meandered forward, cane furiously tapping, one hand in front of him. “Can you take care of that, Gladio? I think I’ll make us some dinner with the remaining supplies in our pack. Should be nice to have a meal cooked over a genuine stove for a change.” 

“Sounds good.” Gladiolus turned to Ravus. His face looked…relaxed. Unhurried, no trace of the usual bone-deep weariness. Maybe it was the lighting or the atmosphere, but Ravus thought Gladiolus seemed happy. 

The sight filled Ravus with sympathetic joy. He had not seen a genuine smile on the Shield’s face in some time. 

“Can you go help Iggy?” Gladiolus asked. 

Ravus nodded curtly, remembering himself at last. He stumbled off to the kitchen as instructed.

Soon enough, the cottage came alive with the smells of fresh cooking. It was nothing short of a miracle that the gas still worked. With the stove on, warmth subsumed the small living space. Ravus even took off his outer jacket, leaving him in nothing but a light grey t-shirt. Ignis handed over his jacket as well. Now he wore only his buttoned-down shirt and suspenders—a look that accentuated his lean figure, filled out more around the biceps now that they were living a rugged life of constant physical exertion. 

Ignis also looked more relaxed here. He had taken off his gloves, presumably to help him navigate the kitchen more efficiently with a keen sense of touch. Always a vision to behold. An echo of that ever-present need reared its head inside Ravus and he considered accidentally letting their hands brush, answering the need he had to feel the back of those slender fingers…but no.

_Not now,_ Ravus repeated over and over in his head. He could not spoil this brief moment of genuine calmness. Even Ignis wore a tight little smile around his lips. When the pot on the stove started to sizzle, Ravus could even hear the former advisor quietly humming. Comfortable.

At home.

“This place is…?” Ravus asked quietly, taking the serving pot from Ignis to bring to the table. 

“We spent some time here, years ago.” Ignis wiped his hands on a dish towel. “As did Iris and Monica. You’ve met them, right? And Talcott? They stayed here for quite a while until civilization moved on.” 

Ravus eyed the delicious-looking stew. He realized for the first time in days that he actually was a little hungry. A kind of acquired hunger that could only be satisfied by Ignis’s cooking. 

“We wanted to see if it was still in good condition,” Ignis explained. “And now that it is, well…” His lips twitched upwards. “…we’d best take advantage of it, shouldn’t we?”

Ravus did not know what else to say. It was clear that they regarded this cottage with more fondness than sadness. But there was something else going on. …wasn’t there?

Gladiolus sighed contentedly when they all sat around the kitchen table to eat. Midway through the meal, the lights finally gave out. It was enough to shock Ravus and Gladiolus (although, Ignis merely raised his head at the loud clicking sound of the lightbulbs breathing their last). But with a scrumptious meal sitting nicely in their stomachs, all they could manage to do was laugh. Even Ravus cracked a smile, chuckling underneath Gladiolus’s booming guffaw and Ignis’s polite mirth. 

They had probably lost their minds. But sitting there in the sudden darkness—safe, somehow, with only each other—was…kind of funny. This is what it all came down to. Humanity, kingdoms of old, civilization from beginning to end. It all wound up here. Three men sitting around a rickety table with the lights out. 

Ravus lit some candles, creating a dim glow. The lighting would have been eerie somewhere else. But here, with the waves crashing outside, no one around for miles, it felt… _something_. Nice, perhaps. Warm. A little strange (the scenery here was so different from anything they’d experienced in months). But…calm. Gladiolus cleared the dishes and Ignis wiped down the table. 

There was nothing left to do but sit and talk. Sitting in a chair and talking around a table was nothing like laying on the ground around a campfire. Memories of being a person bubbled to the surface. Ravus remembered now: He was a man. Even though they were living hand to mouth in the wilderness, they were still human beings. Still alive.

Yes. They were alright. This was not hell, it was just…dark. That’s all. 

Just dark. And darkness could not last forever, right?

The mood around them settled. Gladiolus kept staring at Ravus, tilting his head to the side self-consciously. Ravus could not help noticing how close Ignis’s and Gladiolus’s chairs were. The way their hands disappeared under the table, no doubt clasped together. Normal, really. Ravus fisted the loose fabric around his thighs (his pants were perpetually too big for his thin lower frame) and told himself to ignore it.

“How are we?” Ignis asked softly, his voice barely above a hum in the dim light.

A satisfied stomach usually made Ravus feel sleepy. He would have said as much, but right now he could not fight the feeling of being scrutinized. Even that question—brief and simple—seemed like an interrogation.

Ravus squeezed his fists, daemon claws scraping uncomfortably against his skin. He said nothing. 

“You okay?” Gladiolus followed up. His eyebrows wrinkled, ever so slightly concerned.

Were they finally going to talk about this? The weirdness between them? The feelings Ravus could never be sure were real or just in his head? 

How did he even begin to articulate everything he felt? The anxiety and the want? The pain, and the feeling that he had never been as close to anyone as he was with Gladiolus and Ignis—

“We’ve been traveling together for some time now, haven’t we?” Ignis put his free hand on the table and turned his face slightly toward Gladiolus. “How long has it been? A year since Prompto left, isn’t it?” 

“Yup.” Gladiolus shifted in his seat, creaking the chair.

“And yet, after all this time…I feel as if you’ve become more distant than ever, Ravus.” Ignis opened one eye—the only one he had any access to—and searched in Ravus’s direction. The former commander stared back at him wordlessly, biting his lip.

It was true. Ravus had been more silent these past few weeks than ever before in his life.

But how could he speak when the only thing he wanted to say was a plea? The words that lived in the back of his throat, threatening to spill out if Ravus was not careful: ‘Can I…? Will you…? I want to….’

A blush passed over Ravus’s cheeks. He hoped Gladiolus could not see it in the faint orange light.

They were silent for a few more moments. Then Ignis finished with, “…Why?” 

So they had noticed something was different. The strange feeling in the air around them was not just a figment of Ravus’s imagination. They could sense it, too. 

But then, if that were the case, didn’t they see that Ravus could not handle anymore torment? That he was nearing his limits of control and did not know what to do about it?

“I…” Ravus began, burying his face in his MT hand, uncertain how to explain. Or if he should even try. “…don’t know. I’m…not…” 

…what you think I am, he wanted to say. He was not the polite brother figure who could respect their relationship without bringing his own lust into the equation. He was not a virtuous man who could appreciate Gladiolus and Ignis for the kind, wonderful people they were without being helplessly attracted to them. Without stealing looks at their bodies when he knew he wouldn’t be caught and then treasuring the moments like a thief. Without making their friendship (a thing Ravus had never enjoyed before) into something dirty. 

“It’s alright…” Ignis murmured, leaning in to the table. Extending his hand as far as he could towards Ravus. Palm down. “You can tell us.” 

Biting down harder on the inside of his lips, Ravus longed to give in to the suggestion. He wanted to tell them. He wanted to be honest about his feelings because keeping them hidden felt like an act of betrayal. 

But alas. Ravus was too much of a coward. Once he admitted how much he desired Gladiolus and Ignis, they would never be able to continue traveling together. They would want their space, away from Ravus who looked at them with ulterior motives. Ravus would be alone after that. Successfully ruining the only genuine connection he had in his life. As he was wont to do. 

So, the silver-haired man sighed and dropped his head to his chest. “…I cannot,” he admitted in defeat.

“Heh.” Gladiolus tapped his knuckles against the table. Somehow smiling even though this was the most stilted, awkward conversation they’d ever had. “ ’Course not. He wants us to guess.” 

Ravus glared daggers at the Shield. No, he did not want them to guess! Certainly not! It was just…that…the words would not come on their own. And he could not risk being rebuffed when he had no one else to turn to, nowhere else to go. 

To his great surprise, Ignis chuckled in response. “Ah, yes,” he said, retracting his hand. “Naturally.” 

Clicking his teeth dramatically, Gladiolus stretched his arms over his head and started to ramble. “So let’s see. I’mma run through some possibilities here. You’re…pissed at something.” 

Ravus glowered, but turned his head away in disgust and slight embarrassment. He could recognize being made fun of at this point. He did not appreciate it.

“No? Alright, next guess.” Gladiolus was openly grinning now. “You want to go somewhere. Like back to Niflheim or maybe Altissia. Fuck around with the Scourge a little bit. No? Hmm. Getting tricky now…gotta think hard…” 

Was that _sarcasm_? What was this, some kind of game? Didn’t Gladiolus see how Ravus had already been brought lower than he’d ever been before? At the point where he was pining hopelessly after two taken men like some school-age girl—

Clearing his throat, Ignis wiped away the laughter on his own face with the backs of his knuckles. “Gladio’s only teasing you, Ravus. No need to get upset.” 

“I fail to see the humor….” Ravus replied tersely. It was a weak response, but.

“Well then never mind that.” Ignis put one hand on Gladiolus’s shoulder. Then he said, deadpan and matter-of-fact, “But Ravus, you’re aware that Gladio and I are together? Romantically, I mean?” 

The words fell into the open space between them like small boulders. Heavy and clunky. Landing around their feet like the most obvious thing in the world, but enough to make an impact nonetheless.

Ravus opened and closed his mouth a few times. He was not surprised of course. But now they were _talking_ about it… 

“Yes, I…” Ravus huffed in agitation. “…think you’ve made that perfectly clear.” 

Gladiolus chuckled when he heard that, nodding like he understood completely. Which he probably did. 

“Indeed,” Ignis replied with a polite, if slightly sheepish, smile. “We’ve been more open around you lately because…we wanted you to know.”

Ah! So they wanted to torture him then. Was this all part their game? Did they get off on knowing that Ravus could see their little touches and do nothing to ease his own suffering…? 

Cruel. Ravus should have seen it coming.

“For what purpose?” he demanded. “Why let me see your…relationship when you hide it from everyone else? Why have you burdened me with this coveted information but you refuse to tell even your closest friends…?”

He realized that his words were coming out harsh, so Ravus tapered off. But he was still frantic, very uncomfortable mentioning in the waking hours the things Ignis and Gladiolus did at night.

“My apologies,” Ignis said slowly. “I was unaware this information was a burden to you.” 

How could that be true? They must know the way Ravus pined. If they were comfortable enough to make jokes, to confide in him…although, admittedly, Ravus had never asked them to stop. So he could not genuinely blame them for being affectionate, despite his own personal wounds. Which they may have known nothing about.

“Just…” Why me, Ravus wanted to ask. Why had they chosen him to show their secret to? Of all people? And in such an inappropriate way? “Why did you… Why haven’t you told the others?”

For once, Gladiolus could not meet Ravus’s eyes. It was Ignis who eventually broke the silence. 

“We will. We’ll tell everyone, of course. When the time is right. It’s not that we wish to remain in the closet, so to speak. But unfortunately it is…complicated.”

In what way? Ravus glanced between the two of them and let his unspoken question linger.

“Everything happened so fast,” Gladiolus began in a strained voice. “Iggy and I only started…after Altissia. When everything went to hell. It just never seemed like the right time to come clean when there was so much other shit going on..” 

Honestly Ravus was not expecting that admission. Gladiolus and Ignis became close only after the incident in Altissia. After a lifetime of friendship. It was amazing to consider (only once their lives well and truly fell apart did they look to each other for comfort), and yet it gave sense to the secret. Certainly it would sound strange to anyone that love could blossom in the darkness like this. With the king’s absence and humanity’s decline. It would seem nothing short of selfish to announce that they had begun an affair when people were dying day in and day out.

Ravus felt the same way about his own feelings. So he understood.

“Besides,” Gladiolus continued. “I kind of think people will start to figure it out on their own. Maybe that’s the best way, huh?” 

“Possibly. Though people might appreciate a little honesty…” Ignis bent down and kissed Gladiolus’s shoulder where his hand had just been. 

Skin prickling as he watched that display, Ravus reigned his thoughts in, keeping them from running wild. After all, that whole conversation begged the question…

“So then,” he said at last. “…why are you honest around me?” 

It took Ravus a long time before he could look up again. A large part of him was not certain he wanted to know the answer to this question. Maybe they would say that they knew they could trust him—a stab in the gut after how often Ravus had betrayed their trust in his own thoughts.

“You really have no idea?”

The disbelief was evident in Gladiolus’s voice. When Ravus mustered the courage to look at him, he was met with an expression of confusion that bordered on…insult. Hurt in…some way.

Why was Gladiolus hurt? How, in all of this confusing mess, had Ravus managed to insult the Shield—when all he had ever tried to do was to keep himself in check before he ruined their relationship?

“Ravus.” Ignis’s voice was serious. The silver-haired man whipped around to face him. He felt like he was being brought to task and it was…well, there were alot of feelings. But more than anything, it was…sultry. Ignis’s voice never failed to give Ravus goosebumps, even when they were talking about mundane things. 

A small smile broke out across Ignis’s face. “I believe we had a deal.” 

Stunned, Ravus shook his head. He had no idea what the other man was talking about.

“Yeah,” Gladiolus added. “We agreed on a year, didn’t we?”

Ravus searched his memory, trying to imagine this mysterious so-called deal. 

“Assuming, as I think it is safe to assume, that you have not managed to lose your virginity up until now?”

…Oh.

_That._

A cold-hot shiver ran down Ravus’s spine as he remembered that weird, half-drunken night. Of course he remembered it very well—the first time he’d ever seen Gladiolus and Ignis intimate with each other. The embarrassment, admitting his most personal secret to the group. The vivid images that came to mind as they suggested—

—but hadn’t that all been…a joke? 

“You…” The bottom of Ravus’s stomach dropped. His limbs went shaky and slightly numb. This couldn’t be real! “…were serious about that?” 

Gladiolus rose from the table. “You better believe it.” 

“That is to say,” Ignis continued seamlessly, rising to his feet alongside his partner. “We were hoping you would approach us before now. Especially once we revealed our relationship. We thought…that you would be inclined to join us. Or at least ask us to stop. Some kind of feedback so that we could begin a conversation.”

“But nope.” Gladiolus stared smugly at the former commander. “You’re just as stubborn as ever. Gonna make us do all the hard work, huh?”

Before Ravus could collect the pieces of his mind and form some kind of response, Gladiolus walked over to him. Slowly, not in any rush. Confident and at ease.

Ravus peered up at Gladiolus with a set of wide eyes. Uncertain if he should back away or…

…but Gladiolus’s presence was warm. As palpable as Ravus remembered. He glanced at those bare arms (the Shield was wearing only his black tank top) and withstood a memory of what they felt like around his body. Squeezing him. 

The heartbeat in Ravus’s chest sped up to a gallop. Gladiolus was looking at him curiously. Affectionately. With a hint of excitement around the edges of his smile. Ravus was honestly afraid of him in that moment. He knew that if Gladiolus touched him—and Ignis as well, either of them—he would be lost. His skin was already dappled with goosebumps and strange shivers. Anticipating a touch that Ravus’s mind could not accurately imagine…

The Shield held out a hand. Palm up, an invitation. “Come on,” he said calmly. “Let’s go have some fun.” 

No. No, this was a dream. This was his mind playing tricks on his starving body, making him see what he wanted to see, probably forcing him into a situation that would thoroughly embarrass him when he woke up the next morning.

“You don’t have to agree right away, Ravus,” Ignis offered from across the table. “I know it may seem like a lot. You can take your time and process the offer, come to us when you’re truly ready…” 

“Or, you know,” Gladiolus shrugged. “You could just go for it. I promise you won’t regret it.” The Shield’s smile widened lasciviously.

“…And I’ll admit,” the former advisor continued. “Gladio and I have been discussing this amongst ourselves for quite a while. Well, a year at least, I believe. So it’s fair to say that we are…” He sucked his teeth thoughtfully. “…rather eager at this point.” 

Ravus gasped when Ignis’s voice turned dark at the end of that statement. Sincere. Unable to help himself, Ravus looked Ignis up and down a few times. Imagining that man—composed, down to the last hair on his pompadour—getting aroused at the thought of…Ravus. 

Of all people and things in the world to be eager about. 

How could this be real.

“If…” Ravus slowly stood up. His legs were not the sturdiest, but he played it off like he had always meant to lean on the table for support. “…this is some kind of…trick or game or anything like that—”

“It isn’t,” Gladiolus interrupted.

“—just…” Ravus continued on, needing to get this off his chest before they went any further. “…please, do not tease me anymore. It would be cruel to mock me at this point. I…won’t—”

“Not to worry.” Ignis trailed his hand along the table and made his way over to Ravus. “Gladio and I have no intention of being cruel to you. Not tonight, nor any other night. Past, present, and future included.” 

When he was close enough, Ignis reached out to touch Ravus on the shoulder. Softly. Nothing more than he’d ever done in the past. Except, obviously, Ignis had never laid a finger on Ravus in this same context. Under the pretense of intimacy, an invitation to…do…other things…

All the breath left Ravus’s lungs in one swift rush as soon as Ignis touched him. Like striking a match, Ravus’s body flooded with an arousal so strong he worried that he might lose himself before they started. Just from the implication alone.

…no, he couldn’t let that happen. Even if he thought he was going to melt right through the floor at the idea that Ignis and Gladiolus wanted to be with him, Ravus needed to keep himself together. He could not come apart at the seams in front of these men—in front of _anyone_ , he couldn’t let them see—

“Hm?” Ignis squeezed Ravus’s shoulder a few times. Confused, he turned towards his partner. “He’s shaking. ….Gladio?”

“Yeah.” Gladiolus took a step back, peering deeply into Ravus’s face as Ignis could not. “He’s nervous.”

Of course, Gladiolus could see the fear written plainly on Ravus’s features. In his blue and purple eyes, on the quivering line of his mouth and his bouncing eyebrows. 

Grunting self-consciously, Ravus closed his eyes. If only he could hide his anxiety. Then perhaps he could defend himself a bit better. From the onslaught of these two men who made him feel so many unlooked for things…

“Oh, my dear.” Ignis dragged his hand up to Ravus’s face, cupping one cheek. Pulling the man’s gaze and breath to him like a magnet. “There’s no reason to fret. Let us handle everything. We’ll make sure everything goes smoothly…and we’ll take full responsibility no matter what happens. Alright?”

It probably sounded ridiculous to them, Ravus could hear it in Ignis’s voice, but still. That was exactly what he wanted—for them to take the burden of responsibility away. Because Ravus knew he was going to fall to pieces as soon as they started touching him for real (no question there) and he did not know how to live with the shame afterwards. Once it was clear how wanton Ravus was on the inside, how easy it was to elicit a reaction from him…what would he do? He could not show that side of himself unless they promised to take all the blame.

Gladiolus rubbed circles into Ravus’s back with one giant hand. “That’s right. It’ll be our fault, okay? You can be pissed at us later. As much as you want. After we make you feel good.”

Redness flushed Ravus’s cheeks, his whole body. Now they were all on the same page about how this was going to go. 

And yes. Ravus was excited. Heart stuttering and stopping, breath coming in uneven puffs. Sweating everywhere. Hard enough that being stuffed inside his everyday jeans actually hurt.

Ignis’s face moved in close; his lips within a hair’s breadth of Ravus’s. For a moment, all of the other chaos ceased to matter. 

“May I kiss you?” the blind man whispered. His thumb slid down to the side of Ravus’s mouth to mark the spot. Ravus shuddered when that slender thumb teased the soft skin around his lips.

He nodded wordlessly. Could Ignis feel it? Just to be sure, he whispered back, “…Yes.”

Ignis took his time. He gave Ravus enough space to escape at the last second if he wanted to. But, ultimately, the taller man stayed still. Stretching up on the balls of his feet (since Ravus was at least a full head taller than him), Ignis gently closed the distance between their lips. 

As soon as they kissed, Ravus spasmed. Everything in his body squeezed and released in one quick tug. He was worried for a moment that he had actually climaxed…but no. He was wet, yes, shamefully. Leaking in eagerness. But the throbbing in his cock only increased. There was no relief. That kiss sharpened everything into harsh focus. Soft lips on his own. Warm and careful. Playing with him. Exploring. Tasting. Forcing his mouth open ever so slightly to deepen the angle. The tip of a tongue— _Ignis’s_ tongue—coming to lap at his lips. Ignis’s voice humming contentedly, as if Ravus had a pleasant taste, or else he was enjoying the intimacy just as much.

Ravus made a sound. Something undignified, halfway between a whimper and a short moan. High in pitch, not at all manly. He expected Ignis to laugh, but instead the former advisor just continued kissing him. Surely he had heard. But he didn’t care. He just wanted the kiss to last.

Just as Ravus wanted. Breathing out, he returned the kiss hesitantly. Letting his lips move to the rhythm Ignis laid out. 

It was heaven.

All too quickly, Ignis moved away. Ravus tried to follow him with his mouth, hungry for more. Those intelligent lips nudging him towards intimacy and pleasure. Ravus wanted _more_. He looked back at Ignis confusedly.

Then he felt thick fingers on his chin. With a gasp, he realized Gladiolus was turning his head in his direction. Forcing them to face each other. And the Shield was close, just as close as Ignis had been.

“Mind if I get a turn?” Gladiolus rumbled. 

Before Ravus could respond, Gladiolus was kissing him. Not as gently as Ignis, but not rough either. Gladiolus’s mouth was hot and steady. Instead of peppering kisses across Ravus’s mouth, Gladiolus sucked Ravus’s lips against his own and massaged them. It was a different kind of intimacy. Almost needy, where Ignis had been in full control the entire time.

And it felt so good. Ravus whined as he kissed back. He knew he should be embarrassed by the sound, but Gladiolus did not seem to mind either. The kiss went on. Ravus let his hands rest on the Shield’s shoulders and Gladiolus wrapped a hand around the taller man’s waist. 

Ravus realized he was being held. In strong arms, like before, but so much better. This time he was being embraced like a lover.

He relaxed into the touch. Already dizzy with arousal. The wetness in his pants was surely seeping through by now. Ravus wanted to look down and see if Gladiolus was just as hard, but he could not look away from the Shield’s face. Gladiolus was staring at him with smoldering eyes, full of some emotion Ravus had never seen before. If he had to guess, he would call it appreciation. 

Weak and already overstimulated, Ravus pressed closer to Gladiolus. He ran his human hand along the Shield’s cheek, reveling in the feeling of scarred skin. As rough as Ravus imagined, stubbly and craggy. Worn down by time (none of them could be considered “young” anymore). Ravus loved every inch of it. 

He wanted Gladiolus to hold him—by the waist just like this—forever.

“You like that?” the Shield murmured, breaking into a smile as Ravus melted in his hands. 

“…Ye…s…” Ravus stuttered. He was unable to concentrate with those beautiful, taunting lips so close.

Then suddenly he was pulled. By his _daemon_ hand! That was enough to shock him out of his reverie. Someone had willing touched the ugly, cursed part of him and was trying to coax him forward. When Gladiolus moved to the side, Ravus saw it was Ignis. Cradling the daemon appendage in one smooth hand as he led the man across the kitchen.

“Shall we?” Ignis chuckled, fingering the table and then the nearby wall to guide his way to the nearest bedroom.

“W-wait…” Ravus tried to say. He did not want Ignis to hurt himself accidentally! The claws and synthetic skin on the MT arm were sharp, rough to the touch unless you were used to the sensation. Far too beastly for Ignis’s soft hands! 

But Ignis did not seem to mind. He smiled as he pulled Ravus into the first floor bedroom. He knew the way by heart, and Gladiolus opened the door for all of them. 

“Be careful…” Ravus did not know what else to say.

“I’m quite alright,” Ignis tossed over his shoulder, rounding on the former commander with a grin. He clasped Ravus’s MT hand between both of his own, making the taller man gasp. So careless! 

“Just…that hand is rough, so…” Ravus muttered. He could not believe how easily Ignis handled the daemonic part of him. Like it was any other man’s hand—how…absurd.

“Oh, this?” Ignis lifted Ravus’s MT hand higher. “That’s what you’re concerned with?”

“I…” 

While Ravus and Gladiolus watched, Ignis brought the daemon hand to his lips. Without a care in the world, he sucked one of Ravus’s claws into his tender mouth. Licking the black, synthetic skin with his clever pink tongue. 

Although Ravus could not strictly feel any sensation there, he nearly fell to his knees in arousal. Ignis’s mouth…on _that_ …teasing the daemon skin with his lips, groaning in delight. As if that bizarre, inappropriate gesture somehow made him feel good!

Oh, gods, no…! Ravus swallowed hard and shut his eyes. If he looked any longer he would lose himself to the debauchery. Never in his wildest fantasies had he imagined another person would touch his arm so flippantly, nonetheless try to derive some enjoyment out of it…too much.

“Heh, alright Iggy, tone it down,” Gladiolus interjected. “This guy looks like he can’t handle that shit just yet.” 

Ignis let Ravus’s fingers drop from his mouth with a soft pop. It was obscene and beautiful. A visceral hunger ignited Ravus’s core. He wanted to grab Ignis by the shoulders and ravage him with his lips. He wanted to grind against Ignis until he came, until they merged and he could feel the other man inside—

“Ah, I see,” Ignis muttered (did he realize it was ironic when he said that? Or was that another pun?). “Well then. What shall we do instead?”

It was a rhetorical question, clearly, because Ignis wasted no time sidling up to Ravus once more. Now they were in the bedroom, Ravus felt like he might suffocate. They were all standing, squeezed up against each other in the middle of the room. But the bed loomed like a foreboding promise in the corner. Ravus had never—and it had been so long since they even saw a soft bed, let alone actually slept in one. As soon as he laid down Ravus might…

While he stewed in indecision, he felt wet lips against his neck. Ignis’s. The man’s dark glasses loomed in Ravus’s peripheral vision as Gladiolus pulled him in for another kiss. This one was more intense than before. The Shield drained all the breath out of him, brushing his silver hair with one bear-like hand. The feeling of those thick fingers in his hair was unreal. It made Ravus shiver from head to toe.

The lips on his neck…Ignis was too smart to be allowed to kiss him there. He found every sensitive place Ravus had to offer. Nipping gently. Licking the hollow of his throat. 

Fuck, Ravus’s pants felt positively _heavy_ at this point. Soaked and cumbersome. His hands were busy pawing at Gladiolus’s shoulders and Ignis’s waist, or else he might have been tempted to undress.

“Damn…” Gladiolus muttered. He pulled away and ripped his shirt over his head in one clean tug, exposing the silky, tattooed skin underneath. “I’m starting to feel it too, you know?”

“As am I,” Ignis added, popping open the first few buttons on his shirt.

Ravus did not know what they were talking about specifically, but he assumed they were enjoying this. And, chests bared, the men were sinfully gorgeous. Just what Ravus secretly desired for most of his adult life. A craving so deeply ingrained in his being that he had no words to describe what it felt like. A sore spot. A natural need.

He wanted them. _So_ badly.

Moaning wordlessly, Ravus dropped his head onto Gladiolus’s chest. He kissed the man’s hard pectoral muscles with love on his lips. Addicted to the taste of warm, strong flesh. The sight of ink, intricately woven, a promise of fortitude. He lapped Gladiolus’s sternum as his self control ebbed away. 

“Hmmm…” 

Ignis hummed somewhere near Ravus’s ear. He said something to Gladiolus, but Ravus could not hear him. He was too intoxicated by the abundance of skin at his disposal. He wanted to study every inch of Gladiolus with his tongue. Memorize each bump and dip along the surface of him…

“Yeah, I know,” the Shield responded to his partner. “Good call. Caem’s the best place we could’ve done this.”

Raising his head a fraction, Ravus tried to process what that meant. It was hard to think when his tongue was moving with a will of its own, each new sweaty patch of Gladiolus’s skin a revelation to Ravus’s tastebuds.

Then he felt a long-fingered hand on his leg. It started rubbing around his hip, then dipped lower onto his thigh. Ravus trembled violently under the touch. He was not expecting Ignis to touch him there—

“It’s okay,” Gladiolus murmured. He combed his fingers through Ravus’s hair again, making the former commander throw his head back and moan. It felt so good to be stroked like that. “Iggy made the right choice. There’s no one around for miles. You can be as loud as you want here.” 

“Yes, hold nothing back.” Ignis kissed Ravus’s neck again. “This is all for you, my dear.” 

All for…? Ravus glanced over his shoulder at Ignis. Why would he say that? Had they been serious when they said they were discussing this for some time?

Impossible.

But, they were so eager and natural with him. Clearly they planned this. Chose Caem as the location…was that the real reason they went this far south, in the middle of nowhere? Could it be?

Well, Ignis was definitely a man who examined all his options ahead of time. And you did not rise to the head of the Crownsguard by bumbling around with your head up your ass. So, clearly, these men were both used to scheming. It made sense.

Except, why did they care so much? Just to have sex with Ravus, a strange, repressed man who didn’t deserve—

“O-oh!” 

Ignis’s hand slid between Ravus’s legs, caressing his inner thigh. No! Far too intense, even though he was still wearing all his clothes. He thought Ignis would have asked before touching such an intimate spot. So close to his…! 

“Pardon the intrusion,” Ignis whispered into Ravus’s ear. He trailed his hand upwards, underneath the former commander’s shirt. Teasing the flesh on Ravus’s abdomen just above button on his pants. “But I think…you’re close, aren’t you?”

Squirming beneath Ignis’s exploratory fingers, Ravus frowned. He could not know for sure what the other man meant, but he thought he had an idea. Was Ignis asking if Ravus was near his climax…? 

And obviously the answer was yes, but how could Ravus say that when Ignis chose that moment to cup Ravus’s hard-on over his jeans. 

“Ah, n…! Oh…” 

He was trying to tell Ignis to stop, any more of that and he certainly would reach the end prematurely, but. The words died on his lips. The outline of Ignis’s fingers against the most needy part of him was enough to make Ravus want to scream. He could not hope to hold back now, unless they stopped this whole thing altogether. 

And…Ravus did not really want to stop. He was afraid, yes. He knew something horrible and humiliating was about to happen. But, he wanted more. He wanted Ignis to keep going, to explore more of him. To feel those fingers in places that ached to be touched. 

Saying nothing, Ignis deftly undid the button and zipper on Ravus’s pants. The former commander watched breathlessly. The moment felt so unreal, so laden with anticipation.

“Nnnh…you…I…” Ravus babbled. High-pitched again. So unlike himself.

He could feel Ignis’s steady breath on his face. It calmed him, for some reason, knowing that Ignis was relaxed while Ravus himself was about to fly apart. He stared at the blind man’s inscrutable face, trusting that Ignis knew what he was doing.

Kissing the commander’s flushed cheek, Ignis slid his hand into Ravus’s pants. Underneath the worn boxers to the hard, flaming hot flesh inside. Ignis hummed in appreciation when he felt Ravus’s bare length, pleased either at the size or at the copious amounts of pre-cum. Or both. 

As expected, the moment Ignis curled his hand around Ravus’s manhood—not yet putting any pressure, just letting the inexperienced man feel the sensation of a foreign hand touching him there—Ravus buried his face against Gladiolus’s chest and came. He tried to stifle his cries by pressing his mouth against the Shield’s pecs, but his body would not allow it. He thrashed painfully as he rode out his climax, spilling endlessly against Ignis’s hand, soaking his ruined pants through until he heard a splash as some of his cum hit the wooden floor. His vision went blurry. Saliva from his open mouth smeared across Gladiolus’s bare skin as he rolled his head in ecstasy.

When he finally came down, Ravus went boneless. Gladiolus and Ignis had to catch him—which they did, successfully leaning his weight on two shoulders. They carried him over to the bed and laid him down gently. Removing the messy pants and t-shirt, leaving Ravus naked on the bed as he slowly returned to his senses. 

Now he felt…cold. Blinking deliriously, Ravus glanced down at himself and realized he was bare. There was probably something…wrong with that, but…his brain was so muddled.

That orgasm. It had come from somewhere deep inside. The fastest and somehow most satisfying orgasm Ravus ever experienced. The feel of another man’s hand against his cock…Ignis’s hand, no less. Soft and wonderful. _Perfect_ , maddeningly so!

“Ig…nis…” Ravus mumbled, reaching out for the man in question with his daemon hand. He wanted Ignis to touch him again—by the gods, he was already hard (how was it possible)—he _needed_ it…could feel the longing for that man’s touch so sharply it resonated in his spine, in each one of his nerves until he felt like he was on fire.

Oh no. He was beginning to lose himself, just as he feared. 

“I’m here, my love,” Igis answered, running his hand over Ravus’s bare leg. “We’re both here. It’s alright.” 

As Ignis spoke, he worked on removing his clothing piece by piece. By the time he was down to his shirt-stays, Gladiolus had already dropped his pants and was standing there in nothing but his boxer briefs. 

“Went off already, huh?” Gladiolus commented. “Can’t say I’m surprised. It’s your first time. Besides, you’ll get another shot. Looks like you’re raring to go.” 

Licking his lips like a man eyeing his favorite meal, Gladiolus sunk to his knees between Ravus’s spread legs. “Damn, you know…” He ran his hands up and Ravus’s thighs comfortingly. Eyes glued to the commander’s dripping, hard length. “I always wondered what you were working with down here. And yeah, alright. I’ll admit you’ve got a pretty nice cock.” 

Unable to comment, Ravus stared down at Gladiolus and shivered. He loved the feeling of the bigger man’s hands on his skin. And that mouth—that warm, demanding mouth! So _close_ to his need… 

Arching his hips into thin air, Ravus searched for Ignis again. He saw the man with a mysterious bottle in one hand, spreading lotion across his fingers. Part of him knew what that meant, but he could not dwell on the implications when each puff of breath from Gladiolus drove him to a point of insanity. 

“Gladio…!” Ravus whined. Yes, he had never called the Shield by that name before. But yes, secretly, Ravus had whispered that name to himself in the dead of night. Just trying it out. Hearing how it sounded on his lips. So the nickname came easily to him now.

Gladiolus was still fixated on the sight of Ravus’s hard-on bobbing in front of his face. “Yeah. It’s a good cock. Not too big where some people might get intimidated, but definitely big enough to have a good time with.” He spoke half to Ravus and half to Ignis, who was listening intently through this pornographic monologue. “And not, like, crazy long? None of that big dick porn shit. But a nice size. Curved, too, so you could really nail a guy’s prostate if you wanted to.” 

“Interesting,” Ignis commented, crawling onto the bed next to Ravus. He was naked. When Ravus stole a glance at the nearly hidden manhood, he was not disappointed either. Ignis’s erection was full and flushed, ready to be ridden. 

A sudden, new yearning spread through Ravus like wildfire. He knew exactly what he wanted.

Then Ignis was already behind him. Propping him into a sitting position and leaning him back against his chest, so Ravus could sit comfortably in Ignis’s lap. Or at least between his legs, because Ignis was kneeling behind him.

“Yeah. We could have fun with this thing, Iggy,” Gladiolus proclaimed, nodding in agreement with himself. 

“Lovely.” Ignis kissed the side of Ravus’s head. Genuinely pleased. He ran his hands down Ravus’s back until he reached the man’s pert, bony ass.

The conversation flew around Ravus too quickly for him to monitor effectively. There were too many sensations on his body. Everywhere. He was putty in their hands, moving wherever they positioned him.

Gladiolus flashed Ravus a broad smile. He chuckled and said, “So. Let’s see how much you can take.” 

All at once, Gladiolus took a full half of Ravus’s hard cock into his mouth. Wasting no time, he sucked with just as much passion as he kissed. Bobbing his head up and down a bit to coax the former commander’s cock toward his soft palate, near the back of his throat. 

“N—ah! Wha—!” Ravus writhed in Ignis’s arms and screamed. He thought he might come again—immediately—but Gladiolus’s mouth was pumping him too slowly. It was all suction, making Ravus’s toes curl, but not quite enough to push him over the edge.

Thank the gods. Ravus probably could not handle another instantaneous orgasm.

“Oh, Ravus,” Ignis drawled in the man’s ear. It prompted Ravus to be quieter, naturally, moaning between breaths as he listened to Ignis’s words. “I’m glad you agreed to spend a night with us. I’ve been so looking forward to it, you wouldn’t believe.” 

Ravus pressed his face against Ignis’s throat. He really couldn’t believe it. 

But he wanted to. He wanted Ignis to tell him everything, how much he and Gladiolus desired him. How much they wanted him. It felt so _good_ to hear. A supreme kind of praise and acceptance that Ravus had longed for his whole life. To know the his body was appealing to someone, and that his feelings—however lewd—were requited. 

Again, he couldn’t quite believe it just yet. But he wanted to.

“Yes….!” Ravus moaned, thrusting his hips forward when Gladiolus teased him with his tongue. 

“Mmm, you beautiful man,” Ignis cooed as he stroked Ravus’s chest and stomach. Caressing his wickedly sensitive skin. “Your body is… _exquisite_. Did you know that? It’s a dreadful thing no one has had the opportunity to appreciate you like this before now. Although, I’ll admit, the selfish part of me delights knowing that Gladio and I are the first. I hope you don’t think any less of me for that.”

Tweaking one of Ravus’s nipples—dragging a painful shudder out of the prone commander—Ignis gently slipped his fingers between Ravus’s ass cheeks. Prodding the man’s virginal entrance with a feather-light touch. Enough to let Ravus know that Ignis’s fingers were there, but no further than that.

Admittedly, Ravus had…experimented with such things in the past, but he had always been too bashful to ever seriously look for pleasure in it. Here and now, with Gladiolus’s brutal mouth sucking him nonstop, the brush of Ignis’s fingers sent a shock through him.

“Ig…! That’s—” Ravus cried.

“Shh, just relax, love,” Ignis whispered, kissing along Ravus’s jaw. “If you want us to stop, just say so and it’s over. Right away, no dalliances, I promise.”

Reached back with one hand, Ravus buried his fingers in Ignis’s wavy brown hair. He knew that promise was real. And it comforted him to know he could put an end to all this joyous torture any time he wanted.

“But you need to relax your muscles. Help me, now.” He stroked Ravus’s puckered hole like a coveted treasure. Deliberate and soothing.

Taking a deep breath, trying not to go cross-eyed as Gladiolus tongued the very tip of his dick, Ravus forced himself to relax. He was worried he might embarrass himself again—his body was too open, any manner of horrible thing might happen right now, but… He couldn’t worry about that. He was putting all the responsibility in their hands. 

“That’s it…” 

Inch by inch, Ignis pushed one finger inside Ravus. “Oh, my…” He wet his lips and continued on, pressing further in. Swirling his finger experimentally. 

“Huh…ju…st!” Incomprehensible sounds poured from Ravus’s mouth. Ignis paid them no mind. He stretched Ravus on one finger, then two. Poking his way along the commander’s insides. Feeling for any sensitive parts, taking mental notes.

“Dear sweet Astrals…” Ignis murmured under his breath. “Gladio, he’s…incredibly tight!”

Pulling off Ravus’s dick with a nod of his head, Gladiolus chuckled in acknowledgement. “Yeah. I fucking believe it.” 

“Amazing, my dear,” Ignis whispered in Ravus’s ear. “You’re so soft and snug…Imagining being you with is…well, it’s a struggle to stay in control, darling.”

“Mmm, Ignis…” Ravus turned around—able to think now that Gladiolus wasn’t sucking him within an inch of his life—and kissed the blind man fully on the mouth. He poured every inch of the love Ignis was making him feel into that kiss. 

Those words. Even more than the mouth on his cock and the finger in his ass, those words were making Ravus want to bend over and beg to be fucked. He wanted Ignis to take his pleasure from Ravus’s body, to enjoy him, to pound into him and whisper in his ear the whole time. 

He separated from Ignis sloppily, a string of saliva connecting their mouths, and stared back over at Gladiolus. He wanted that man naked. Now. Hours ago, days ago, months and years ago. He wanted Gladiolus naked in front of him so Ravus could worship that godly body with everything he had.

“Please…” Ravus said, glancing between the two of them. “…Please, I…” 

He didn’t care who went first. He didn’t care how many rounds they took on him. He just _wanted_. In such a terrifying way that Ravus was certain he would not finish this night with all the pieces of himself still intact. No, something would be indescribably different after this.

That didn’t matter. He wanted to feel their love. All of it, no quarter and no exceptions. 

Ignis curled his fingers inside Ravus, confident where exactly he was hitting. Sure enough, Ravus’s breath stuttered and howled in pleasure as Ignis prodded that sweet, primal part of him. 

“Tell us what you want, Ravus,” Gladiolus said seriously. “So we can give it to you right.” 

They were offering it to him. This was the _anything_ they had promised—the _everything_. This was the thing Ravus wanted right down to his very soul. All he had to do was ask. As he prepared himself to say the words, tears filled his mismatched eyes. He knew they were going to say yes to this. And that fact, in its own way, brought Ravus to the most surreal place of joy he had ever known. 

Finally he said it. Barely above a murmur, but they all heard him.

“…Fuck me.”

At that, Gladiolus and Ignis grinned from ear to ear. “We can do that,” Ignis asserted. 

They got Ravus into position. Gladiolus carried him gently down to the floor. On his knees, Ravus got onto all fours and prepared himself for whatever they were about to give. He wanted their hands on him—he wished those hands would never leave.

“Who do you want first?” Gladiolus asked bluntly. “Me or Iggy?” 

It was a crude question and Ravus hated having to pick, but of course he knew the answer. He wanted the man who had already been inside him, the one who had readied his body to be taken. 

Turning around, Ravus gripped Ignis’s hand and pulled him closer. “…Ignis,” he confirmed. 

Clearly overjoyed, Ignis’s knees hit the floor so hard they sent a pulse through the wood. “Certainly,” he said with as much composure as he could muster.

While they surrounded Ravus in front and back, Gladiolus gave his partner a quick kiss. That quick kiss turned into a long kiss, then a full-on groping session. They were excited. Their planning and waiting had worked! Now they were going to finally reap the benefits.

As he watched their moment of intimacy, Ravus felt his own loneliness fade away at last. He was not alone anymore. Ignis and Gladiolus wanted him. They wanted his body and his person. They were going to fuck him.

Trembling with happiness, Ravus moaned wantonly. He pressed his head to the floor and presented himself to Ignis the way he always dreamed of doing. Like the parched, starving slut he was on the inside. It hurt to admit, but it was the truth. He could not wait any longer to be connected to these men.

“He really wants you, Ig,” Gladiolus rumbled. “He's giving you all the access you need.” 

“Oh…” From that, Ignis turned his attention back to Ravus.

He felt up the taller man’s backside, realizing what a compromising position Ravus was putting himself in. To say it was exciting to the former advisor would be a gross understatement. Feeling his way towards Ravus’s entrance, Ignis pressed the tip of his cock just past the first rim of muscle. A hint of intimacy. Letting Ravus wet his feet in the waters of penetrative sex.

“Ah…! Ignis…!” Ravus clawed at the wood under his hands. He wanted more. He wanted Ignis all the way inside of him. “Please…! More…” 

“Patience, dear…” Ignis huffed. He was going to need to call upon every reserve of strength to take this slowly. “You’re squeezing me like a vice…”

Gladiolus palmed himself over his boxer briefs. Watching Ignis work his way into Ravus was so hot. He forgot completely that the sun itself was not really a thing anymore. This was all the light Gladiolus needed in the world. These two guys, fucking each other’s brains out.

“Gladio…” Ravus moaned. Eyes hazy with lust, he reached for the Shield. Clutching air, begging him to come closer.

Swallowing hard, Gladiolus tried to take off his boxers. Slowly, not trying to ruin the moment by ripping off his shorts like an amateur—

—but that was not at all fast enough for Ravus. He grabbed Gladiolus’s boxers by the hem and tore them away. A man swatting gnats. Pushing everything insignificant out of the way so he could get to his real prize: The big, swinging cock underneath. 

Gladiolus was every inch the man Ravus imagined. He moaned outright when he saw the Shield’s dick—partly because Ignis was fully seated inside him at that moment. He could Ignis’s whole length penetrating him and it…drove Ravus crazy.

He ran his tongue over Gladiolus’s cock, stuffing it inside his mouth at odd intervals. Trying to keep himself from moaning too much, filling his mouth with that perfect dick. Ravus needed to shower it with adoration. He had no technique, obviously, no idea how this was meant to be done. But he didn’t care. All he wanted was the harsh, earthy, salty, bitter taste of Gladiolus’s cock on his tongue. In his mouth. Pressed against his throat until Ravus’s nose was buried in the Shield pubic hair. All of that cock—he wanted it.

“Fu…oh…” Ignis cried, rocking his hips a few times. “Ravus, you feel so…utterly _unbearable_ , darling. Enough to drive a man past his senses. How have you managed to keep this gorgeous…mind-numbing body…to yourself?”

Tears dripped down Ravus’s face. Every time Ignis slid inside, he slammed the commander’s prostate, making the inexperienced man feel like he was a hair’s breadth away from coming. Each thrust brought him closer and closer to the edge. He was breathing in harsh gasps, licking Gladiolus’s cock like he needed it to breathe.

“Easy,” Gladiolus warned, seeing that Ravus was going over the deep end. “Slow down, Ravus, we’ve got time…”

But the silver-haired man shook his head. “Can’t…!” he cried messily, in between licks. “…wanted this…so long!”

“I know, I know.” Gladiolus held Ravus’s head in place, seriously worried Ravus might hurt himself with the way he was thrashing around like that. “But this doesn’t have to be the only time, okay? We’ll give it to you again. Just go easy…”

Ravus, mouth open, pulled away from Gladiolus and eyed him warily. “You…will?”

“Of course!” Ignis confirmed. He was unable to stop his hips now, the pleasure far too intense. But he fucked Ravus with an even staccato rhythm and said what he needed to. “The offer will always be there, my love! Uh…gods…whenever you want…oh, Gladio he’s…I’m…”

“Yeah…” Gladiolus stroked one hand through Ravus’s hair, as affectionately as before, and wrapped a hand around the taller man’s chin. Guiding Ravus to suck him off gently. In measured, easy strokes. Not too hasty. 

Skewered in between the two men, Ravus felt the true weight of their love. Ignis was plowing into him, trying his best to hold back. Gladiolus was holding his face in such a way, teaching Ravus how he liked to be sucked. 

He closed his eyes and repeated the promise to himself over and over. _Whenever you want._ Ravus could ask for this again. Even though it was clear how out of control he was…Ignis and Gladiolus would still give this to him again. 

“Oh, Ravus, you’re amazing…” Ignis moaned, snapping his hips into Ravus’s sweet spot.

“Yeah, that’s it, just like that,” Gladiolus encouraged. 

They were enjoying this! Yes, that… Knowing that these two men liked his body, wanted it for their own…! The short, loving phrases they gave him. Reassuring him every step of the way. 

Ravus was as aroused as it was possible to be, he thought. His cock leaked a steady stream of pre-cum. It flowed out of him continuously—he could not hold anything back. He was drenched, wet like a woman practically, and he wanted more. He wanted Gladiolus to cum in his mouth and for Ignis to cum inside…he wanted to beg for it, but he was already so full.

_Stay_ …he wanted to say. _Stay with me, please. Give me everything…_

“Oh Iggy, he’s close.” Gladiolus could see it plainly. “He’s getting there. His face…he’s crying and drooling all over my cock. Tongue out, trying to suck me in deeper.”

“Ah, yes, gods…fuck!” Ignis cursed and thrust harder as he imagined the scene in his mind’s eye. 

Ready to go, Ignis wrapped his hand around Ravus’s leaking cock and stroked him hard. Quickly, with very little finesse (quite different from his usual fare). But Ignis only had one goal in mind. He wanted Ravus to come hard, to feel the release they knew he deserved.

Cursing again, Ignis pulled out and came all over Ravus’s back. The silver-haired man moaned in disappointment, but still. Feeling the blind man’s honest release splash against his skin was enough to push him over the edge too. He climaxed into Ignis’s hand for the second time that night.

“Almost there…” Gladiolus grunted between clenched teeth. He rode out Ravus’s face a little and then, finally, he got there. He spilled himself down Ravus’s hungry throat, groaning as white hot light burst behind his eyes. An intense peak that he honestly had not been expecting.

When they were done, they all crashed to the floor. It had been a crazy round—all of them lost their composure perhaps a little bit more than they intended. Or a lot. Either way, it took a good while before they could muster the courage to speak. As the minutes ticked by, all they did was catch their breath.

“So…” Ravus said, rising into a sitting position as his body creaked in protest. “…now you know what I…really am.” 

“And what are you, darling?” Ignis asked, reaching for Gladiolus’s hand to hold. Without question, his partner returned the gesture.

Ravus closed his eyes. The explosive pleasure from his orgasm was melting into a swarm of emotion. Things he could not hold back. Words he wished didn’t exist but that were part of his reality and he couldn’t fight. 

“I’m…a vulgar man,” Ravus admitted, pressing the heel of his hand into one eye. “A pervert who’s been thinking about you both in that way for years…”

The silence that followed was fairly awkward. But Gladiolus raised his head curiously and knocked Ravus’s hand away. Forcing the man to look him in the eye. 

“…Years?” he asked, for clarification.

Ravus nodded. In a sick way, it felt good to get this off his chest. “Yes, years. I…couldn’t stop myself and now you know the truth. I’m a shameful person and I understand if you feel betrayed—“

“Stop.” Ignis sat up (still decently woozy from…that). He put his hand on Ravus’s arm. “Ravus, you’re not a pervert. Not in the slightest. You’re a normal, passionate man who’s been fighting his feelings for far too long. But Gladio and I already knew that.”

Ravus glanced between the two of them. “You…knew? And you’re not…?” He wanted to say ‘disgusted,’ but the word stuck in his throat.

“Look, Ravus,” Gladiolus said without hesitation. “We wanted this just as much as you. Don’t you get that? So, if that makes us perverts too, then…guess we’re just a bunch of old pervs sitting here trying to wait out the end of the world together. Or something.”

“…Is that what we are, Gladio?” Ignis asked, rising to his feet.

“Guess so.” 

Ignis, naked as the day he was born, considered this for a moment. Then he said, “Hmm. Well, I suppose there is a good amount of evidence to support that.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Gladiolus announced. 

They pulled Ravus (speechless) to his feet and dragged him over to the bed. Before the night was done, Ravus crawled into Gladiolus’s lap and begged to be fucked one more time.

“Don’t think that’s a good idea,” the Shield said. “Better give your body a rest. It was your first time and all.”

But the desire coursing hot through Ravus’s veins said otherwise. “No, please…I want it…”

“Another time.” Ignis kissed the back of Ravus’s hand. “You’ll be sore tomorrow as it is. We don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t, just…” Ravus was hard again. And hungry. The floodgates on all his earthly desires had been opened and now he was riding out a wave of need strong enough to make him whine. “Please…”

They gave in. Finally. But, as a safety measure, Ignis held into Ravus from behind as the silver-haired man sat in Gladiolus’s lap and rode the Shield’s burgeoning cock. Stopping Ravus from going too fast or too hard. Controlling his pace.

“Just breathe…” Ignis coaxed.

“You’re getting there…ah, man, shit yeah, you’re…getting there…” Gladiolus grunted.

This time, when Ravus climaxed, his vision went black around the edges. Gladiolus’s cock and Ignis’s steady hands took him higher than he’d ever been before. So high that Ravus could do nothing except pass the fuck out after he came. Breathy and weak. A rag doll in their arms.

It was the perfect thing. Exactly what Ravus wanted.

______________________________________

“Is he out?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Alright, let’s clean him up.” 

They toweled Ravus down, taking care to make the unconscious man as presentable as they could. A sudden thought struck Gladiolus.

“You know, if he cries out in his sleep, I guess you could say he’s… _squeaky_ _clean_.” 

Ignis broke out into a smile. “Well played,” he admitted. After a moment, he added, “Although, we’d better not make puns at his expense when he’s awake. Otherwise he might be… _perversely_ upset.” 

They shared a short laugh. Then Gladiolus said, in all seriousness, “That really was his first time, huh.” 

Ignis wrapped Ravus in his arms and laid down for the night. They kissed briefly before Ignis clarified his partner’s statement.

“Well, first of many from now on.”

 

 

The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This got pretty intense ;) But I like these three and their weird salt-bae type relationship. It works.
> 
> For you, PorcelainLove!! <3 :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! *waves happily and makes heart hands* You guys are the gr33t3st (*lapsing into leet due to tiredness*)

**Author's Note:**

> Love you all. 
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr!


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